The world has evolved leaps and bounds to ensure both meat eaters and vegans are catered for at Christmas. Long gone are the days of roast dinners laden with extra vegetables or a slice of nut roast if you're lucky.
There's an entire market out there including meat alternatives, vegetarian wellingtons and pies as just the tip of the iceberg. You can even buy alternatives to a roast chicken (most of which present as a suspicious lump) and readymade vegan 'pigs in blankets' from most chain supermarkets these days.
It's a slightly different picture at Bristol Christmas Market, however. The Bavarian-themed attraction has plenty of food stalls selling Bratwurst, hog roast and the famous Yorkshire Pudding Wraps all washed down with a cup of mulled wine and or a cold lager.
Read more: Bristol Christmas Market 2022 welcomes people to Broadmead for first day of festive season
Stationed just opposite the entrance to Jäger Barn Bar is Wrap It, the only vegetarian stall in the entire market. It's owned by Nial, who lives in Bristol but takes his food stall to festivals all over the UK throughout the year.
Nial told me that Wrap It was the only option at the festive market in 2021 when he first started, suggesting that vegetarian options were even more limited in years prior. This is quite surprising in a city which was crowned 'vegan capital of the world' in 2019 and more recently praised in 2021 for its inclusive offerings.
I went for the priciest and most festive option on the menu - the 'Veggie Chicken' - which promised all of the best parts of a Christmas dinner inside a toasted wrap for £8.50. The chicken substitute was paired with a thick layer of salty stuffing, crunchy red cabbage and topped with a rich gravy.
My only qualm was that it was a little heavy on the cranberry sauce, an element which is always to taste anyway and it's been a long time since I've had it, but the sweetness didn't overpower the wrap. The wrap includes a plant chicken breast style from Vivera, made from a soya and wheat protein, which was incredibly tasty.
If you're wanting to be more in keeping with the German theme over the festive season, Wrap It serves a Veggie Hotdog with cheese and fried onions inside a plump bun for £6.50. The other options range from a cheese toastie for £6 or your choice of falafel (£7.50) or halloumi (£8) inside a toasted wrap filled with fresh salad and sauces.
Most of the dishes can be easily vegan by swapping out the cheese, too, and can be served with a portion of skin-on fries. It's great to see there's at least one stall keeping the vegetarians of Bristol content this Christmas.
You can check out all our guide to all the food and drinks stalls at Bristol Christmas Market - and their prices - here.
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